Kingyo (aka the Japanese Izakaya with the pachinko machines)
51B Winchester Street, Toronto, ON, M4X 1R7
So, wife and I wanted to try a new place tonight and we ended up going to Kingyo, which is a Japanese Izakaya that is located in Cabbagetown and also conveniently close to Zakkushi if things didn't work out.
When we got there, the place looked about half empty, yet we still couldn't get a table and had to be seated at the bar. I was pretty amazed at how spacious at was and still a bit annoyed at all the empty tables that we couldn't sit at, but what really drew my eye were all these pachinko machines on the wall. They looked like you couldn't play them as they were pretty awkwardly positioned, but if you go to the washroom area, they have two machines there for free play if you want to try it out.
The service was pretty amazing and even better than Zakkushi. We were seated quickly at the bar and a waiter came by about 5 mins later to get our order. I didn't feel like drinking tonight (no Leafs game), so we just go tea and water along with a host of food to try and get a feel for the place. I'm glad to note here that we didn't have to ask for refills as the waiters constantly came by to apologize for the food taking so long (apparently, it's a thing they do to everything) and also refilled the tea and water as well.
First dish was the the shrimp
While it looks like your average battered shrimp, what I liked most about it was the mayo that went along with it. There was a hint of horseradish in it and I felt it really added to the overall flavour and made it something special instead of just battered shrimp.
Second dish was the hot pot
Greens, pork, miso paste, and other good stuff was part of this concoction. The waiters said that we didn't have to worry about cooking it and they went out of their way to make sure it was cooked nicely in front of us by checking in and periodically stirring it. When it was ready, they even spooned out portions for us as well. It was really tasty and filling and I liked how everything came together. The soup wasn't overbearing and the veggies and meat were just the right proportions to make it a really hearty dish.
Third dish was kara age
There isn't really much to be said about it. I didn't find it too outstanding and it was your average kara age; though I will say the pieces were pretty big. The chicken was juicy on the inside and the salt really enhanced the overall flavour. Still, if you've had kara age before, this isn't going to be something different.
Fourth dish was thinly sliced cow tongue cooked on a hot rock
With a bit of lemon and that sides there, my wife really liked this dish. I thought it was also pretty amazing because the sauce there really kicked up the subtlety of the tongue and if you don't tell someone it's tongue, you would never know the difference.
Fifth dish was the pork belly
This was also really good and I loved how tender and juicy it was inside when I cut into it. While I did find myself missing the bit of crackle you get with a good piece of pork belly, the tenderness along with the nice rich little sauce they had the pork belly swimming in was incredible and I wish I could've had more.
Sixth dish was the blowtorched tuna sushi
Goddamn, I don't think there was ever a better match in culinary cuisine than taking a blowtorch and lightly searing a good piece of tuna belly. When places do this, the smell is simply heavenly, and since smell plays a big part in taste, your mouth starts to water before you even take a bite. While this wasn't like an orgasmic experience like the aburi sushi at JaBistro, it definitely reminded me of it and it was a bit more delicate in flavour than the in-your-face hammer of flavours you get at JaBistro. I'd definitely order this again if I were to go back.
The last two dishes were dessert: a green tea creme brulee and green tea and black sesame ice cream.
While my wife really liked her green tea and black sesame ice cream, she couldn't stop taking pieces of my creme brulee and said she couldn't think of a better dessert. The caramelized crust on my creme brulee burst with flavour and it really suited the mildness of the green tea. Every bite was an intensity followed by that green tea smoothness. Again, the ice cream wasn't bad either, but my wife had it plenty of times before so it wasn't anything particularly special for her.
Total including tip was about 115.
